Closure of Christchurch, Nelson Special Schools devastating

Closure of Christchurch and Nelson Special
Schools devastating for students, families and staff, NZEI
says

The Government's decision to close two of
the country's four residential special schools is
devastating for students, their families and staff, NZEI
President Ian Leckie says.

He says families and
staff would feel let down by the failure of the Government
to listen during the two-month consultation process that
preceded Minister of Education Hekia Parata’s final
decision today.

Closing the Halswell and Salsibury
schools in Christchurch and Nelson will place more pressure
on mainstream schools and on families of children with
complex special needs, he says. People with specialised
skills will be dispersed.

“The Ministry has
failed to guarantee long-term funding for the children who
will be mainstreamed,” he says. “The Minister is
offering extra funding for mainstream schools for only up to
two years to support high-need students moved from the
residential schools. Beyond that time schools will be
expected to fund specialised support needed for these
children from their own budgets.”

“The special
schools are staffed with highly trained and qualified
special education teachers. Schools will struggle to provide
that level of care, especially once targetted funding is
removed," he says.

"This will inevitably place further
pressure on teachers and families of these children. And the
fear is that these children won’t get the specialist care
they are entitled to."

"Sadly, these changes appear to be
driven more by fiscal imperatives than by sound
evidence-based practice," says Mr
Leckie.

NZEI Te Riu Roa members work in every community in New Zealand, leading and advocating for quality public education.

We are the 50,000 principals, teachers and support staff who work in primary, area and secondary schools as well as early childhood centres, special education and school advisory services. We come together as NZEI Te Riu Roa - New Zealand's largest education union, a Treaty based organisation and a powerful advocate for quality public education.

We have the most important job in New Zealand - educating for the future.

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